page_title: Central Illinois
section_title: Climate
hierarchical_section_title: Central Illinois / Climate
caption_attribution_description: English: This is a photograph of the Roanoke, Illinois Tornado of 13 July 2004 by Scott Smith who released it the NOAA/NWS. This tornado was rated F4 on the Fujita scale.
context_page_description: Central Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois that consists of the entire central third of the state, divided from north to south. It is mostly an area of flat prairie. The western section was originally part of the Military Tract of 1812 and forms the distinctive western bulge of the state. Also known as the Heart of Illinois, it is characterized by small towns and mid-sized cities. Agriculture, particularly corn and soybeans, as well as educational institutions and manufacturing centers, figure prominently. Major cities include Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, Quincy, Champaign–Urbana, Bloomington-Normal, Galesburg, and Danville.
context_section_description: The climate of central Illinois is humid continental and the area experiences all four seasons. Snow is common in the winter months and while the counties vary in snowfall rate, most receive about twenty inches of snow annually. With all precipitation combined, most counties receive about 38 inches of rain and snow annually. Severe weather, including tornadoes, is common during the spring and summer months. Rare blizzards can happen in parts of central Illinois in winter. The weather of central Illinois affects the crop season as well; droughts can sometimes happen in the summer and fall causing harm to the soybean and corn crops.
caption: A tornado impacting the town of Roanoke, Illinois.
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